It’s almost time to dig our heels in for the last stand – and no, we’re not talking about Bryan Singer’s X-Men threequel, nor are we referring to the border-town thriller starring a grizzled Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Instead, AMC has today pointed us in the direction of The Walking Dead (season 8B, to be specific), with some key art and an extended synopsis designed to hype up February’s mid-season premiere. Emblazoned with the tagline, “the last stand,” this is a suitably epic preview of the final eight episodes, which will begin their rollout on Sunday, February 25th – exactly four weeks from now.
Having lost the battle for Alexandria, The Walking Dead‘s heroic trio – namely Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) and Michonne (Danai Gurira) – have their backs against the wall, and with Negan circling like a bloodthirsty shark, things are only going to get worse before they get better.
That’s something that’s made immediately apparent by season 8’s extended synopsis, which begins after the jump.
Trouble is afoot, ladies and gentlemen, and the impending death of Carl Grimes is merely the beginning of a long and harrowing journey for Andrew Lincoln’s haggard leader, Rick.
All out war has had a devastating impact on every person involved. The communities themselves are fractured. Alexandria has been destroyed, the Hilltop finds themselves pinned, and the Kingdom is shattered — half of them dead, the other half controlled by the Saviors.
At the very center — Rick, having been distracted by the conflict, has just returned home to learn that Carl, who heroically shepherded the Alexandrians to safety during Negan’s attack, has been bitten by a walker. Once his sole motivation in this otherwise stark existence, Rick is forced to deal with this reality. Carl has always been a beacon of hope, a symbol for the remaining thread of humanity — lessons that the survivors around him would be wise to take with them as this war surges onward.
In closing, the synopsis shifts the focus to Oceanside, where Aaron and Enid are struggling to survive in what may very well be hospitable territory. Friends or foes? We’ll find out in four weeks’ time.
But Rick isn’t the only person who’s living in peril. Aaron and Enid are in a dire situation at Oceanside — unclear if they’re in friendly territory, or if they’ve just made new enemies. Father Gabriel will do his part in attempting to smuggle Dr. Carson safely back to the Hilltop and a pregnant Maggie is wrestling with the many moral gray areas that come with leadership during war. In a standoff with the Saviors, she must decide how to proceed with the dozens of POW lives she’s currently in control of, as well as new complications that come with being a leader.
In addition to the war, Negan continues to deal with struggles within his ranks as workers, traitors, and others’ thirst for power cause conflict at the Sanctuary. Having gifted the Saviors a major victory, Eugene’s loyalty is repeatedly tested as new obstacles present themselves.
As all-out-war consumes us, the line between good and evil continues to blur. People fighting for what they believe in. Everybody working together for something bigger — to feel safe and have a world worth living in.
And it all kicks off on February 25th with an emotional (and extended!) episode of The Walking Dead.
